A: Absurdly so.
From the AFR:
Former Liberal prime minister John Howard does not agree with Tony Abbott’s decision to reinstitute knights and dames into the Australian honours system, saying he stands by his long-held view that such a move would be considered “somewhat anachronistic”, even by conservatives.
Mr Howard indicated that because of his views, and the fact that he never entered politics to receive honours, it was unlikely he would accept a knighthood should one ever be offered.
As Mr Abbott spent much of Wednesday defending what appeared to be a unilateral decision, Mr Howard, a staunch constitutional monarchist, told The Australian Financial Review that his views on dames and knights, which he formed in 1996 upon taking power and which he articulated in his autobiography, had not changed.
John Howard was widely thought to represent 1950s Australian values. So what decade (century?) does that put Tony Abbott in?
Let’s not overlook the more important question: will Warnie turn his knighthood down?
As a quick aside, it appears the Coalition’s watering down of race hate laws is being wound back:
Federal cabinet forced George Brandis to soften his original proposal to loosen constraints on racist insults and hate speech.
In a lengthy cabinet meeting on Monday night – and amid growing backbench concerns – Senator Brandis watered down his proposals for changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
The Attorney-General was instead obliged to settle for only a draft exposure bill. This allows the government position to remain fluid and community groups to react.
…The outcome represented what one minister described as a compromise between the conservative and moderate factions. One minister said: ”George has really drunk the right-wing Kool-Aid.”
Some 21st century denizens still in the Cabinet room, it seems.
